"Uh, Can You Guys Please Stop Undressing Him?"

Marina del Rey Travel Blog

We arrived at restaurant right on time and we were the only group there so far. Because the restaurant wouldn't take us in an entire group reservation, we had staggered reservations, hoping we'd be at least close to each other. Shortly after we arrived, people started showing up rather quickly. Mark (Travelman727) and Wendy (Travelngirl) arrived almost at the same time as she had run back to her hostel after lunch to change. It was great to have the Belize lovers together in one place!! *YEAH*

Next thing you know I turn around and spot Lisa, co-founder Eric's girlfriend! I have not seen them since the original LA meet back in December, 2007. Poor Eric, he and Lisa had gone to grab something to eat at that the meet and ended up missing all the group photos and we actually thought they had left at one point! HA HA.

The arrival of Eric, Lisa, and Eric's roommate Ryan

Some more new faces show, Belinda and Reese, and Stephen from San Diego. It was great to see the new recruits coming out and getting corrupted by us "old timers" HA HA.

This is where things start to blur and get confusing to me. Because of the staggered reservations, they wanted tables of 8 to start sitting. Mel, Joy, Jillian, Julz, and I offered to stay back because we had just eaten the late lunch with Wendy. The first group went in and got seated while we waited for Jenn and Sal to arrive for their reservation times. They wanted the next group got seated and that table was way on the other side of the restaurant.

Cheers!

...literally the exact opposite ends! LOL. Poor Jenn, she arrives and is trying to help get people situated and I end up at that table with Will, Oscar, Mel, Jillian, Julz, Joy, Tracy, and Angel as they are one person shy. I was kinda holding back as I have been watching for Adrian (Acowboy) to arrive who was driving from Phoenix. Next thing you know, Giovanni (Giovanniruiz) calls me and says he's outside somewhere but can't find us. I was stunned because he just texted me 45 minutes ago that he was still out in Valencia which is quite a haul. Apparently he's quite the speed demon! LOL. I go outside to find him and end up moving to the last table of the late shows with him. Somehow in all this, Mel and Jillian give up their seats for other people and go wandering around.

One of the best of the night....Sal paying homage to co-founder Eric's picture

So now, I am at a table with Giovanni, Wendy, Sal, Sybil, and Lynette. Neither Wendy and I were really hungry but they had a $10 pp minimum so we ordered appetizers and had a couple glasses of chianti.

I get a couple calls from Adrian during dinner who indicates he's lost somewhere between Phoenix and the meet. WHAT????? OMG! He said he took a wrong turn but he is trying to get on the right path again. Little messages from the wanderers Mel and Jillian suggest the bar we are supposed to hang out is way too packed and cannot accomodate a group of 30+. We are told to go to the Marriott which is a couple blocks down somewhere. I text Adrian that we are on the move and to call me when he gets close.

Cheers to our the TB meet up and finally a glass of wine!!!

First, we head out to find more homeless people to give the rest of the dinner to. We ended up finding the same homeless people that Joy had fed earlier. Probably just fed them for a week!! LOL.

Now we're off and walking back to the Marriott. I am with Lynette, Sybil, Giovanni, and Wendy. Sooooooooooo happy I still have flip flops on otherwise I might've had to take my shoes off because I would've been dying in heels! We are almost to the Marriott and I am walking in front of the group when I hear someone yell, "Excuse me, I am trying to get through, I'm gonna fall". I look over and there's a woman on a bicycle trying to get through and right behind her is a younger girl coming through. Apparently though, the younger girl said something about us being so rude for taking up the sidewalk while they were trying to get through.

Giovanni, me, Eric, and Julz

WTF?!?! Last time I checked, you are in the wrong hunny buns! This is where Sybil and I sink to her pre-teen level and spout off from down the street, "Don't you know it's against the law to ride your bike on the sidewalk???" HA HA. And the girl was then giving Sybil and I seriously dirty looks and starts spouting something off to the effect of "Uh, I wasn't even talking about you guys." Suuuuuurrreeeeeeeeeee! LOL.

We get in the bar and it seems like we are the last ones to arrive - not surprising since we were feeding homeless people and arguing with teenagers. We've got two huge tables pushed together and it's the perfect spot to sit and talk but still get up and around to mingle. Unfortunately though, they probably had some of the most expensive drinks ever! Poor Will, his Sprites were $3.

With Charles and Kathryn

50 each! HOLY COW! I believe Julz said her Mojitos were $12 or $14. Pretty much ensures you aren't going to get a buzz with those prices. LOL. Well, at least for most of us anways!!! :-D

It's about 9:30pm by now and my cell phone starts ringing but I don't recognize the number. I answer anyways and it turns out to be Charles and Kathryn from Orange County!!! They are somewhere close so I told them about the venue change - thank heaven he called me!!! So excited to see them!!! I met Charles at the mini OC meet back in February and then when I was down in March, went to sushi with him, Kathryn, and Angel. I am so happy they came all the way up to meet everyone!!! Phone rings again and now it's Adrian....FINALLY. OMG...he could've drove round trip for as long as it took him to get there!! :-) I go wait for Adrian to come in now and wow.

Another shot with Adrian

...he's really tall. He told me he's between 6'4" and 6'6" - depending on the day. LOL. It was so good to finally meet in person and also glad that we got along since we have a few TB meets and other travel adventures planned together. I'd hate to have to show him who's really boss!!!

At this point, we decide to head into their lounge, Glow. Due to a private party, we couldn't get in earlier. We had this great corner area with some couches. We were missing a number of people so I was going out trying to find everyone when I heard WHY they were late coming in. Uh, yeah, our fearless Queen and CW got drunk!!! LOL. Somehow she ended up with 5 or 6 shots in row which put her under the table...LITERALLY!!! HA HA HA. There are pics of Mel climbing under the table and from that point forward, the evening took an interesting turn as we babysat our Queen.

Group photo with Mr. Universe in the front!! HA HA

There were several great Mel stories from the evening but mine included the first of many trips to the bathroom! I literally had her clinging to me as we wandered to the restroom. There were two young girls, probably about 12 or 13 years old from the bar mitzvah in checking themselves out as we barrel in the door, Melanie cursing about all the shots she just had. LOL. I come out of the stall to find Mel kicking back against the wall, sitting on the floor, relaying all the shots she had and how f'd up she is. The girls are just staring at her and looking back at me. I said, "Kids, this is why you don't drink when you get older." They said, "Yeah, we've heard stories, but now we know why." HA HA HA HA HA.

Yeah...that would be Mel under the table (had to borrow from her camera...too good of a photo not to post on everyone's blogs)

Poor Mel! And to make matters worse, there was an older women sitting on a chaise outside the bathroom in the ballroom hallway who was staring at us. Mel had yanked down on my dress when she put her arms around me so I am trying to wriggle free as I think I just gave this lady quite a show as I may have popped out (which by the way, I was NOT the one with that problem several times during the night. HA HA). But she looked at like like we were heathens and I just kinda said, oh well, we'll never see her again and we went about our business.

At this point, the host guy comes up and tells us we need to buy $250 bottle service if we want to stay in this area. WTF? It's not that busy and you are going to risk losing over 30 peoples' business if we said no??? Joy opts to buy a $350 Grey Goose.

One Million dollars.....

...OMG! Poor Mel though....she not allowed to have any for obvious reasons!

There were so many other little side stories and hilarious elements to the evening. Here is a sampling:

- Giovanni going to wash his hands at the restaurant before dinner and talking to some guy who hands him a card for his website that is for 'hot girls who f&*k average guys' LOL!!! I said he should've told them he's not an average looking guy! :-P

- Joy was reduced to sitting on Mel's lap to try and keep her drunken behind still as she wriggled around and tried to knock Joy off

- Joy approached by the supposed physician who was there as a part time photographer - him taking photos of us all night and then disappearing only to reappear in a suit to ask someone to take a pic of him and us girls

- Rescuing Mel from the Russian guys booth several times throughout the night as she kept going over to tell them she was engaged to Jillian

- Joy and I taking off the random Russian guy's shirt in the next booth to stage some photos and then bouncer coming over and saying, "Uh, hey guys, can you stop undressing him please?"

- Some of us girls proceeding to dirty dance with the random Russians and Tracy kind enough to take a ton of photos that might as well have been a video of the madness LOL!!!

- Giovanni helping a 70 year old man out of the hotel to get a taxi after apparently being involved in a fight somewhere along the night

- Joy's wine glass being broken and wine spilling everywhere - I think Mel kicked Giovanni who then hit the table her glass was sitting on

- Giving Mel watered down OJ pretending it was vodka and everyone she gave it to as a test then saying, "whoo, that is one strong drink"

- Mel running around the lounge all night yelling "Where is my husband Jillian?" And when she wasn't yelling for her husband, she was yelling for her purse (which apparently Melissa had)

- "He (blank) YOU???" HA HA HA HA

- Paying $40 for two Jager shots and two beers for Giovanni and I

- Jillian and Giovanni chugging the remainder of the Grey Goose bottle

- Mel sticking one of the random Russian guy's half smoked cigarette in my mouth - ewwww! Even worse since I don't smoke

- Jillian falling asleep on Joy's shoulder in the car.

The winos unite

- Mel managing to sober up enough to drunk text Dimitriy the whole way home

- Giovanni literally jumping on the first couch he saw to pass out when we got home

What a fun night - I was still recovering from only 2 hours sleep the night before and here we are again.....this time I was hoping to get 3 hours of sleep!!! LOL. One can only imagine what Sunday and the drive back on Monday would hold....hmmmmmm :-)

*I really want to thank Joy for organizing such a great TB Meet Up weekend! We had an incredible time!!! I loved being back with all my TB peeps I missed and having an opportunity to meet new peeps as well* Can't wait until June 6-8th now!!! HA HA. Road trippin' with JillianJ again!